Box Score March 23, 2012
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Bronx, N.Y. -
Up 4-1 in the top of the eighth inning, the Fordham baseball team was primed to take home a conference opening victory against Massachusetts on Friday. However, the Minutemen spoiled that idea, scoring four times over the final two innings to earn a 5-4 victory over the Rams at Houlihan Park.
With the loss, Fordham is 7-15 on the season, 0-1 in the Atlantic 10, while Massachusetts improved to 3-6 on the year, 1-0 in the league.
The game started well for Fordham, as the Rams opened the scoring in the first inning. Brian Kownacki drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ryan Lee then delivered a single to left, scoring Kownacki for a 1-0 lead.
Massachusetts tied the game at one in the third, as Ryan Cusick was hit by a pitch, was sacrificed to second, and scored on a single by Anthony Serino.
Fordham recaptured the lead in the fourth at 2-1. Lee led off with a double to left center, moved to third on
Tim Swatek's infield single, and scored on a sacrifice fly by
Mike Mauri.
The Rams added to the lead with single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to make it a 4-1 game. Matt DeSilva singled through the left side with one out in the fifth, and then stole second. He later scored on an RBI-triple by Kownacki. In the seventh, it was Stephen McSherry connecting for a triple to right center, and then scoring on a single up the middle by Zach Small.
Starter Daniel Munday was cruising through 7 1/3 innings, before two singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Minutemen in the eighth. A walk to Nik Campero forced in Tom Conley, which ended Munday's afternoon and brought in reliever Rich Anastasi.
Anastasi got the next batter on a strikeout, but Rich Graef delivered a two-run single up the middle to tie the game at four.
In the ninth, Fordham looked to get out of trouble, when after a leadoff walk, the Rams turned a 5-6-4 double play, recording the first two outs of the inning. Anastasi though walk edthe next two batters, which brought in Jeremy Adel from the Fordham bullpen. Adel was greeted with a single through the right side by Adam Picard. Fordham right fielder Ryan Lee came up throwing to the plate to try and get Conley, but the throw was cutoff, which allowed Conley to score and give UMass the lead.
The Rams tried to come back in the bottom of the ninth, as Swatek started the frame with a double down the left field line. However, Mauri was struck out by reliever Leif Sorenson, while McSherry and Small both grounded out to short to end the game.
Anastasi (2-3) took the loss in relief, giving up one run on one hit and three walks in 1.1 innings of relief. Munday received a no-decision, allowing four runs on eight hits over 7.1 innings.
At the plate, Lee was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Swatek was also 2-for-4 with a double.
The same two teams will match-up for the second game of the series on Saturday afternoon, beginning at 1:00 PM.
